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Aria was formed in Japan in 1953 by Shiro Arai as Arai and Company. They began retaiwing acoustic guitars in 1960, awdough de company did not start manufacturing deir own untiw 1964. Aria arranged for Matsumoku, de musicaw instrument maker, to buiwd de guitars for dem under contract. Arai and Matsumoku started buiwding acoustic guitars in 1964, and den ewectric guitars in 1966, using Arai, Aria, Aria Diamond, Diamond, and much wess freqwentwy, Arita brand names. The Aria brandname was changed to Aria Pro II in wate 1975, dough dis has been used mostwy (but not excwusivewy) for ewectric guitars and basses. Aww guitars were made in Japan untiw 1988, when production of wess expensive modews (Magna MAB/MAC and Integra IGB series) was switched to Korea. In de mid-1990s a few modews (incwuding de Fender Stratocaster-inspired Fuwwerton series guitars and de Steve Baiwey 6-string fretwess signature bass) were made in de United States.[citation needed] Guitar designer and audio engineer, Ronnie Parker started his career wif Aria in 1985 when dey were wocated in de City of Industry, Cawifornia.

Aria Pro II did some copies of famous American guitars such as de Fender Stratocaster and de Gibson Les Pauw dough it awso did its own stywe of guitars. In de 70s and earwy 80s de company came into its own in de United States wif a series of high end professionaw instruments. The company had professionaw endorsements from Herb Ewwis, Yngwie Mawmsteen, Neaw Schon, John Taywor, Henrik Fwyman and many more. Cwiff Burton of Metawwica used an Aria SB Bwack N Gowd I as weww as an SB-1000 bass but was never an officiaw endorser. He has a posdumous "Signature Modew" (his name is not mentioned on de Aria site) cawwed de SB-CB produced in Korea. Aria makes guitars ranging from beginner to professionaw modews. Some of deir professionaw modews were known as Firebrands because of de Firebranded Aria wogo on de reverse of de headstock. The Firebrand guitars were produced in very smaww runs. They were den given to eider named artists who promoted Aria Guitars or to de very top deawers as gifts. Firebranded Guitars were produced to a much greater standard dan production runs.